Black Lives Matter - France

[Buelligan]

I just wanted to show you this piece of news from France.  A music producer, Michel, with a studio in the 17th arrondissement in Paris, a "nice" area, was attacked a few days ago, beaten badly by three police officers in his own home.  He screamed for help and after some time, nine teenage friends, who were in the studio, came to his aid.  They managed to get the police out of the flat and close the door.  So the police called for reinforcements, the police are armed.  They broke the window and door and fired a tear gas grenade into the building.  Then they got everyone outside and beat them a bit more.  Arrested them.  Michel was kept in custody for two days before he received medical attention.  Having been beaten for over five minutes with fists, kicks and batons.  They also abused him racially. 

Unfortunately for these police officers, Michel's studio has CCTV cameras.  And his neighbours filmed what was going on outside.

He still has no explanation as to why he was attacked like this.  But said, if I hadn't had film, I'd now be in prison, the people I love would believe I'd tried to take the weapons from these police officers...

You can watch it here.  There is currently a move in France to pass a law making it illegal to film or photograph the faces of the police.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I was reading about that filming law, it's a stalking horse on the anti-muslim laws coming in isn't it? Horrific stuff all round.

[Buelligan]

Now, here we are, free to speak.  We must speak because there are people who would like to make it impossible.

Here, we uphold égalité.  But where is that, what is that?  Even if we ignore the racism.  This law is an attack on all of us, even the fucking racists.  Where is the equality that permits state surveillance but criminalises citizens for recording agents of the state?

We all know that some police behave like this, like criminals.  Because they are criminals.  How can they be called to account if recording their behaviour is made a crime?

[bgmnts]

He shouldn't be going round being black then should he? Numpty.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

We all know that some police behave like this, like criminals.  Because they are criminals.  How can they be called to account if recording their behaviour is made a crime?

Meanwhile the UK's approach is to say that basically anyone undertaking work for the crown is immune from prosecution if the crime they committed was perpetrated in pursuit of an overarching objective deemed* to be significant enough.

Deemed by a party/parties incapable of policing itself/themselves and who are in a legally indefensible conflict of interest.

[Paul Calf]

LA HAINE MASSIVE SPOILER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IHO1LzLgIg&feature=youtu.be&t=117
LA HAINE MASSIVE SPOILER

[Paul Calf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qo3EwozH0Y&t=1s

[Paul Calf]

A quarter of a century this year since the release of that film and France has learned nothing.

[Buelligan]

It's the same most places.  That's why we need to unite, speak up and change it.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Yes once on ostensibly free western place gets ideas like this everyone wants to try it.

[Dr Trouser]

wouldn't be at all surprised if this https://netpol.org/2020/11/26/government-plans-major-crackdown-in-2021-on-the-right-to-protest/ transforms into the French proposals

[Chedney Honks]

JUSTICE, NIQUE TA MERE

*scratching*

NON, RIEN DE RIEN...

[Dex Sawash]

Tous les flics sont baguettes

[Pijlstaart]

Many of us, especially those in positions of authority, have been inured to a culture of violence which we now casually incorporate into our work. "What a mitzvah it is to kill things and be violent" said He-man to a generation of our hated young, we loved watching He-man overpower others and I believe these ideas have taken deep root in our psyche. Indeed, many young men now induce multiple puberties in the mistaken belief that they will be additive as He-man's three concurrent puberties were, but he is a fiction, and in reality each consecutive puberty will serve as an undoing and a rebuke to it's predecessor. It is a vicious cycle.

I'm no better, I was particularly taken with the Jedi's mandate as peace-keepers of the galaxy, indiscriminately thwacking hither and thither, they wouldn't even take a wife because she'd distract them from their mission of peace. It's aspirational, you can't deny it, and though I know it is wrong, my workplace violence makes me feel worthwhile.

[chveik]

I was reading about that filming law, it's a stalking horse on the anti-muslim laws coming in isn't it? Horrific stuff all round.

not really, it's a separate thing. I think they just want to cover up all the recent scandals of cops beating up people on tape. and the lockdown is very convenient for this, there can't be much backlash.

[Hand Solo]

not really, it's a separate thing. I think they just want to cover up all the recent scandals of cops beating up people on tape. and the lockdown is very convenient for this, there can't be much backlash.

I remember there were a lot of angry protests going on in London that the media weren't covering at all when the 'Rule of Six' was conveniently installed, obviously only for the public good. Obviously.

[Mister Six]

There is currently a move in France to pass a law making it illegal to film or photograph the faces of the police.

Fuck me, that's absolutely chilling.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Fuck me, that's absolutely chilling.

have to mark them some other way

like werewolves

[Buelligan]

Fuck me, that's absolutely chilling.

Yes.  And not just terrifying for ordinary citizens, for journalists too.  How long will it be, how much more restricted will we become, before we realise what is happening?

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

What did the gendarmerie accuse him of even doing? What did they think justified repeatedly hitting a man in the face while their mate held him from behind?

[Buelligan]

They said he was walking publicly without a face mask - we are allowed to do that in the open air.  I believe that is why they said their attention was drawn to him.  The charges they brought against him initially were that he was violent, resisted arrest and tried to take their guns.  He was (I suppose) lucky none of them shot him, given the way non-white men get shot down in the street if they seem to be terrorists.  Once the footage came out, they dropped the charges.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

They said he was walking publicly without a face mask

OH WELL THAT WARRANTED AN ARREST, COULDN'T POSSIBLY WRITE HIM A FUCKING TICKET NOW

[Buelligan]

As Paul said Mort aux vaches !

[Sebastian Cobb]

ha I didn't know pigs were cows in french.

[Buelligan]

Yes, it's really inspired me, you know how oblique I like my thoughts and I love my nature, my wild plants too, anyway...  There's a plant called Ranunculus sceleratus.  I think the common name for the English, is cursed crowfoot but the French call it Mort aux vaches.  I want to make tshirts or mysterious posters with this plant.

[Sebastian Cobb]

OH WELL THAT WARRANTED AN ARREST, COULDN'T POSSIBLY WRITE HIM A FUCKING TICKET NOW

Meanwhile in Spain https://twitter.com/YesThatAnna/status/1332111946255118338?s=19

[Sebastian Cobb]

Yes, it's really inspired me, you know how oblique I like my thoughts and I love my nature, my wild plants too, anyway...  There's a plant called Ranunculus sceleratus.  I think the common name for the English, is cursed crowfoot but the French call it Mort aux vaches.  I want to make tshirts or mysterious posters with this plant.

Hah, I'm guessing due to usage, while not a literal translation it's more-or-less "fuck the police", having that in flower form is lovely.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The fascists have a much longer tradition in France than in the UK and the "soft right" are always trying to keep enough of them on side to build a political coalition. Hell, even the socialists have had their moments. Their 21st century response to Islamic extremism has been more confrontational than ours by quite a distance, attacking elements of Muslim culture to the extent that they have alienated a portion of otherwise moderate Muslims and by doing so fuelled further extremism (that's before we go into the fact that austerity measures disproportionately negatively affected Muslims in France).

I obviously agree with their government that blasphemy is a ridiculous idea, furthermore, I think a whole load of French Muslims are  fucking hypocrites, but given this is a sensitive issue the sensitive handling of it is quite important.

Stuff like the opening post is a declaration of war, the sort of thing you hear about in South America, but probably happens in Western Europe when we aren't looking. Likewise, making it illegal to film the police. Hmm. Yeah. See how you get on in a country run by a President no-one really wanted leading a party no-one really voted for when the nation has a notoriously disobedient streak. The genie isn't going back in that bottle.

[Buelligan]

...furthermore, I think a whole load of French Muslims are  fucking hypocrites...

Could you elaborate?

[jamiefairlie]

Could you elaborate?

Because some/many of them believe in their religion and therefore believe other religions should be supplanted/made secondary. Of course the same applies to Christians all other fuckwits of that ilk.